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Association Between Health-Related Quality of Life and Being an Immigrant Among Adolescents, and the Role of Socioeconomic and Health-Related Difficulties

Author

Listed:
  • Michèle Baumann

    (Integrative Research Unit on Social and Individual Development (INSIDE), Institute Health & Behaviour, PUniversity of Luxembourg, Walferdange L-7201, Luxembourg
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Kénora Chau

    (Service de Pédopsychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lorraine, Hôpital d’Enfants de Nancy-Brabois, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy F-54500, France
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Bernard Kabuth

    (Service de Pédopsychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lorraine, Hôpital d’Enfants de Nancy-Brabois, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy F-54500, France
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Nearkasen Chau

    (INSERM, U669, Paris F-75014, France
    Univ Paris-Sud and Univ Paris Descartes, UMR-S0669, Paris F-75014, France
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

To develop satisfactorily, adolescents require good health-related quality of life (QOL, including physical health, psychological health, social relationships and living environment). However, for poorly understood reasons, it is often lacking, especially among immigrants with lower family and socioeconomic resources. This study assessed health-related QOL of European and non-European immigrant adolescents and the contributions of socioeconomic difficulties, unhealthy behaviors, and violence. It included 1,559 middle-school adolescents from north-eastern France (mean age 13.5, SD 1.3; 1,451 French adolescents, 54 European immigrants and 54 non-European immigrants), who completed a self-administered questionnaire including sex, age, socioeconomic characteristics (family structure, parents’ education, occupation, and income), unhealthy behaviors (uses of tobacco/alcohol/cannabis/hard drugs, obesity, and involvement in violence), having sustained violence, sexual abuse, and the four QOL domains measured with the World Health Organization’s WHOQOL-BREF (poor: score < 25PthP percentile). Data were analyzed using logistic regression models. Poor physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and living environment affected more European immigrants (26% to 35%) and non-European immigrants (43% to 54%) than French adolescents (21% to 26%). European immigrants had a higher risk of poor physical health and living environment (gender-age-adjusted odds ratio 2.00 and 1.88, respectively) while non-European immigrants had a higher risk for all poor physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and living environment (3.41, 2.07, 3.25, and 3.79, respectively). Between 20% and 58% of these risks were explained by socioeconomic difficulties, parts of which overlapped with unhealthy behaviors and violence. The associations between the two sets of covariates greatly differed among French adolescents and immigrants. Poor QOL was more common among European and non-European immigrants due to socioeconomic difficulties and associated unhealthy behaviors and violence. The different risk patterns observed between French adolescents and immigrants may help prevention.

Suggested Citation

  • Michèle Baumann & Kénora Chau & Bernard Kabuth & Nearkasen Chau, 2014. "Association Between Health-Related Quality of Life and Being an Immigrant Among Adolescents, and the Role of Socioeconomic and Health-Related Difficulties," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:11:y:2014:i:2:p:1694-1714:d:32679
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Junaidi Budi Prihanto & Endang Sri Wahjuni & Faridha Nurhayati & Ryota Matsuyama & Miwako Tsunematsu & Masayuki Kakehashi, 2021. "Health Literacy, Health Behaviors, and Body Mass Index Impacts on Quality of Life: Cross-Sectional Study of University Students in Surabaya, Indonesia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Ningjing Chen & Daniel Yee Tak Fong & Sha Li & Janet Yuen Ha Wong, 2020. "Association between Non-Restorative Sleep and Quality of Life in Chinese Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-10, October.
    3. Bo Chen & Dong Tan, 2023. "Industrial Robots and the Employment Quality of Migrant Workers in the Manufacturing Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-21, May.
    4. Kénora Chau & Bernard Kabuth & Nearkasen Chau, 2016. "Association between Suicide Ideation and Attempts and Being an Immigrant among Adolescents, and the Role of Socioeconomic Factors and School, Behavior, and Health-Related Difficulties," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-15, November.

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